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Recent Examples of tightened
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Dwindling enrollment tightened the budget by $89 million halfway through this school year when the purse was already $100 million thinner than last school year.
—Natalie La Roche Pietri, Miami Herald, 16 May 2026
Performers are judged by juries in participating nations and viewers around the world, and this year the broadcasting union tightened voting rules in response to the vote-rigging allegations.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
No photos in the living room — a policy that tightened after guests snapped pictures of Taylor Swift with Matty Healy — and a dress code that allows jeans, but the expensive kind with no rips.
—George Gurley, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
State lawmakers tightened an existing voter identification law by requiring photo ID at the polls, with some exceptions.
—John Raby, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
McBride scored 13 of her 18 points in the first quarter before the Dream defense tightened on her.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 10 May 2026
Restrictions were partially eased in February before being tightened again after the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
His jaw tightened as beads of sweat gleamed on his forehead.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 May 2026
Verb
Parking, long a challenge, has tightened as multiple blocks get redeveloped.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Dwindling enrollment tightened the budget by $89 million halfway through this school year when the purse was already $100 million thinner than last school year.
—Natalie La Roche Pietri, Miami Herald, 16 May 2026
Performers are judged by juries in participating nations and viewers around the world, and this year the broadcasting union tightened voting rules in response to the vote-rigging allegations.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
No photos in the living room — a policy that tightened after guests snapped pictures of Taylor Swift with Matty Healy — and a dress code that allows jeans, but the expensive kind with no rips.
—George Gurley, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
State lawmakers tightened an existing voter identification law by requiring photo ID at the polls, with some exceptions.
—John Raby, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
McBride scored 13 of her 18 points in the first quarter before the Dream defense tightened on her.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 10 May 2026
Restrictions were partially eased in February before being tightened again after the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
His jaw tightened as beads of sweat gleamed on his forehead.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightened
Adjective
-
Made from a shape memory polymer (SMP) of polylactic acid (the same PLA plastic used in many 3D printers), the arms soften during application of voltage, and become inflexible once electrical heating ceases.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 May 2026
-
But Larissa, a nurse always at the ready with syringe full of sedatives, is inflexible about Katie remaining at home.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Instead, he was intrigued by a scene in which Back visibly tensed up after the producers told him he was suspected of being Satoshi.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The slope down to the sidewalk was barely an inch high, but everyone tensed.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lisius got out of the car to stand outside, watching the clouds grow taller and firmer.—
Emily Holshouser
May 19,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
-
Despite them being family, there was a firm hierarchy in place, as Maul remained above Savage in the pecking order, and both brothers accepted it.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The fire extinguisher incident was the latest pitfall in a season that, even by Marseille’s own inherently chaotic standards, has stretched the bounds of credibility.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Overcrowded shelters, limited spay-and-neuter access and a shortage of foster homes have created a system stretched beyond capacity.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
With unwavering resolve, Salvador musters an eclectic band of misfit street kids, led by the spirited Belén, to challenge the unyielding threads of destiny and protect Carmen from inevitable doom.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
The term signifies an unyielding toughness, and decals featuring nails are affixed to batting helmets for players’ positive achievements.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Cracks in the casing, a stiff or fraying cord, or discoloration around outlets mean that your power strip is failing.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
16 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, another five states, including death-tax-free California and Florida, impose stiff fees to probate (that is, get court approval for) an estate and/or require a family to pay attorneys.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Dombrowski decided to retain Thomson after a taut, four-game series defeat to the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers last October.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Shape dough into two taut balls.—
Emily Teel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The company uses something called Agent Operating Procedures (AOPs), which let companies define how their AI agents should behave using natural language instead of rigid configurations.—
Ellen Sheng,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
Plus, Amazon hasn’t skimped on quality with a largely cotton construction that’s comfortable to wear without feeling scratchy or rigid.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightened. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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